This invention relates to harvesting machinery, and more particularly to a machine for harvesting crops from bushes or vines planted in rows.
Mechanical harvesting of crops, for example grapes, is highly desirable in being faster and cheaper than manual labor. Machinery has been proposed which employs vibratory or agitating means for detaching crops, for example grapes, from vines or bushes. The peculiar problems associated with harvesting, however, impose many significant performance requirements on such machinery. For example, there should be maximum removal of the crops with minimum injury or damage thereto. The machinery should have the capability of harvesting crops at various heights, including those crops which grow relatively close to the ground. In addition it would be highly desirable to provide such machinery which harvests crops effectively without excessive energy requirements.